Collapsible closet



Oct. 26, 1937. E. J. REEFER COLLAPS IBLE CLOSET Filed Dec. 15, 1933INVENTOR KL. BY

ATT

Patented Got. 26, 1937 UNE'E'ED STATES attire COLLAP SIBLE CLOSET EugeneJ. Reefer, New York, N. Y., assignor to Reefer Galler Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application December 15, 1933, Serial No.702,489

3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to collapsible cabinets and inparticular to cabinets adapted. for the storage of clothing.

In one of the phases thereof it further relates to containers in whichclothing may be stored for the purpose of protecting it from dust andfrom the ravages of vermin, such as moths.

While particular mention has been made of the utility of my inventionfor the purpose of storing o clothing, it will be obvious that as tocertain aspects thereof, it may have other applications.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a cabinet which maybe readily collapsed for purposes of storage, when not in use, and maybe conveniently set up for purposes of use.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a cabinet withclosure members giving access to the interior, which will interengagewith portions of the body of the container to make it substantially dustand insect proof.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a container of thetype described with convenient and efiicient means for supportinggarments therein.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a collapsible cabinetthat, when set up, will be rigid to a high degree, and to provide forthis purpose a plurality of rigidifying structures which will cooperateto mutually strengthen each other.

For the attainment of the above objects and such other objects as willhereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have disclosed one embodiment ofmy invention in the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, with portions brokenaway and showing one of the closure members in open position;

Figure 2 is a cross section thereof, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 3 is a detail view of one of the corners of the body of thecabinet with portions broken away, showing the details of the cornerconstruction whereby a substantially dust and vermin proof closure isefiected;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 of Figure 1 looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view in perspective indicating how thecabinet may be collapsed;

Figure 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing removablegarment-supporting means;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a detail of the construction shown inFigure 6;

Figure 8 is a section on the line Zi-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view corresponding to a portion of Figure 2, andshowing a modification of the construction shown therein.

My invention as herein illustratively disclosed, relates to what ispopularly known as a knockdown closet adapted for the storage ofclothing so that it will be protected against dust and vermin such asmoths in the various forms thereof, such as insects or larvae. Its aimis to provide such a cabinet or closet that may be readily collapsedwhen not in use and will permit of a setting up and of the storage ofclothing therein with the least eifort andthe greatest convenience, andin the embodiment shown herein the cabinet is of such size that it willaccommodate clothing without the necessity of folding it, and to effectthis purpose, means are associated with the interior of the cabinet fromwhich the clothing may be hung, thereby giving the additional advantageof ready removability. The last named means also acts as a reinforcementand prevents collapse of the cabinet, and in order to make collapsepossible when it is desired to store the cabinet, it is made removable.7

Having in view all of these aims, and purposes, I have illustrated inthe drawing a form of the invention which may be conveniently andcheaply made out of paste board and particularly out of corrugated pasteboard, which material combines rigidity, lightness and low cost. It willbe obvious, however, that I do not restrict myself to the use of thismaterial, but that for certain purposes other materials may be foundbetter suited.

The invention in its practical embodiment involves the idea of a cabinetor closet, the parts of which are in such relation that when the cabinetis collapsed, they may be superimposed one on the other and when thecabinet is erected, they will interfit in such a way as to provide adust and vermin-proof clothing cabinet having a garment-supporting rodadapted to support garments mounted on clothes hangers or similardevices to give added rigidity to the erected structure, and to preventits collapse.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, I have there shown a cabinetcomprising an outer or body portion having side walls it] and 82, a topwall it, and a bottom wall I 6. Carried in hinged relation by the sidewall it are closure members l8 and 20 which constitute the front and theback of the cabinet. The top and bottom members l4 and it are hinged tothe side members I6 and I2 so that as indicated diagrammatically inFigure 5, the cabinet may be collapsed. Figure 5 shows a cabinet inpartially collapsed condition, that is, in an intermediate stage in theprocess of collapsing for storage purposes, which process will result ina positioning of the parts in superposed relation, whereby they willtake up a minimum of space. The hinged rela tion mentioned, whencorrugated board is used,

may be attained in the manner customary for such material by scoring orcreasing a continuous sheet of material, thereby separating it intosections hingedly united at the points of scoring or creasing. Obviouslyit may also be attained in other ways well-known to those skilled in theart.

In order to attain the purpose of making the cabinet dust and verminproof, I have provided the walls and the closure members of the cabinetwith complementary interengagingportions whereby this purpose will beeffected. The details of the closure construction will be found inFigures 1, 2, 3, and 4 and reference is made thereto in connection withthe following description which applies to the closure member I8. Itwill, however, be understood that a similar construction is used inconnection with closure member 20.

Running parallel to the opening designed to be closed by the member I8,is a strip 36, which is shown as fastened to the side wall I2 at itsinner edge, and is spaced from the free edge of the wall, as clearlyappears from Figures 2 and 3. Strip 36 is held to the wall I2 adjacentthe inner edge thereof by any preferred or suitable fastening means, asindicated at 38, but its outer edge is left free, and by thisconstruction a pocket is formed which is adapted to receive a flap 46formed on the closure member I8. Figure 2 shows these parts ininterengagement.

It will be seen that this construction results in a closure that issubstantially dust-proof and in order to further increase itseffectiveness, I have shown the outer portion of side wall I2 as doubledover so that a doubled over edge is formed. If desired, the doubled-overportion 42 may be fastened to the wall I2, as shown at 44, in anysuitable manner. The effect of this construction is to restrict themouth of the opening to the pocket formed between the Wall IZ'and strip36, and to increase the tightness of the closure, due to the increasedfriction between flap 46, strip 3", and portion 42. It may also bementioned that the inherent resiliency of corrugated pasteboard, wherethis is used, contributes to the effectiveness of the closure.

Besides cooperating with flap 40 to effect a closure, the portions 36and 42 also act as reinforcements contributing greatly to the rigidityof the walls they engage, and when the flap 40 is positioned within theclosure pocket, it also contributes to the rigidity of the: wall I2 andof the entire cabinet.

While I have described the strip 36 as applied to the wall I2, it willbe observed from the showing of Figure 1 that the strip is extended toinclude the bottom I6 and the top I4. By using a continuous strip 36 ahighly efficient construction is assured. However, I also contemplatethe use of separate strips for each of the walls, where otherconsiderations make this desirable, but it is obvious that they shouldpreferably be closely contiguous at the corner portions so as to avoidgaps in the closure at those portions.

Besides the flap 40 the cover or closure I8 carries flaps or extensions46 and 68, cooperating respectively with top I4 and bottom I6.

Flaps iii), 46, and 48 may be joined at their corner portions, ifdesired, although this would prevent their collapse against the coverI8. 01', on the other hand, their corner portions may be cut on thebias, so as to facilitate entry of the flaps into the pockets.

Fastening members comprising straps or bands '59, are fastened to thecover I8 at 54, and adapted to be disengageably fastened to wall I2 bymeans of fasteners, such as clasp fasteners 52, illustratively shown,one element of which is carried by wall I2, and the other element bystrap 56.

In Figure 9, I have shown a modification of the closure construction. twill be observed, that wall I2 carries the strip 36 fastened thereto byelements 38, and that the wall I2 also has a doubled-over portion 42,While cover I8 carries the flap 46' adapted to enter the pocket formedbetween wall I2 and strip 36'. The distinguishing feature of thisconstruction is the fact that the free portion of strip 36 overlaps I2in any suitable or preferred manner, as in- 1 dicated at 24, so that theblock 22 may stand away from the wall I2 at its upper portion for apurpose to be explained. It will be understood that a similar block 22is attached to the opposite wall I6. member 26 intended for the supportof garments and shown as arod provided with ferrules 28 at its ends, Theconstruction of the ferrules is shown in detail in Figures 6, '7, and 8,and it will be observed that they' comprise a slitted sleeve portion 29as shown in Figure 8, provided with prongs 30. The material of which theferrule is made is preferably sufficiently resilient so that the prongswill engage the rod 26 with a resilient gripping action. Carried fromthe sleeve portion 29 is an overhanging extension 32 positioned at rightangles to the sleeve and adapted to enter the space between the block 22and the wall I2 or iii, as the case may be. This action is indicated inFigure 6. In order to position the rod 26 to prevent lateral motionthereof, each block 22 is provided with a notch 34 within which theferrule 28 may seat.

It will be observed that the garment supporting rod 26 is by thisconstruction made readily removable and readily insertable, and when inposition, it resists collapse of the cabinet, and for all practicalpurposes effectively prevents such collapse. It will further be observedthat the blocks 22 because of their great lateral extent provide a firmsupport for the rod 26 and will enable it to carry a mass of clothing,and a further effect of the transverse positioning of the block is toimpart transverse rigidity to the side members I2 and II].

It will further be observed that when either cover is in its closedposition, the interengaging portions of the closure means thereon willcooperate with the rod 26 to give rigidity to the cabinet, and thatthereby the closure means and Supported by the blocks 22 is a,

the garment support mutually coact, each reducing strain and protectingthe other.

While my invention has been shown as embodied in one illustrative formthereof, it will be obvious that it may be embodied in many other forms,without departing from the spirit thereof as defined in the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, and illustrated its use, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. A collapsible container having end walls and side walls at least oneof which is adapted to serve as a cover and whereby at least one sidemay be opened, and a dust and vermin proof closure between said coverand the adjacent walls, said closure comprising a male member ofresilient sheet material and a female member adapted to receive thesame, said female member being in the form of a pocket constituted by awall of resilient sheet material having its free outer porticn doubledover, thereby providing said wall with a doubled over portion and by astrip of resilient sheet material overlying said wall on the same sidethereof as said doubled over portion and disposed parallel to thedoubled over edge of said wall, said strip having its free edge spacedinwardly from the doubled over edge of said wall, and having portionsadjacent its other edge secured to said wall.

2. A container having end walls and side walls at least one of which isadapted to serve as a cover and whereby at least one side may be opered,complementary closure means on said cover and the adjacent walls saidclosure means comprising a male member of corrugated board and a femalemember adapted to receive the same, said female member being in the formof a pocket constituted by a wall of corrugated board having its freeouter portion doubled over, thereby providing said wall with a doubledover edge portion, and by a strip of corrugated board overlying saidwall on the same side thereof as said doubled over outer portion, anddisposed parallel to the doubled over edge of said wall, said striphaving its free edge spaced inwardly from the doubled over edge of saidWall, and having portions adjacent its other edge secured to said wall.

3. A collapsible container having end walls and side walls at least oneof which is adapted to serve as a cover and whereby at least one sidemay be opened, complementary closure means on said cover and theadjacent walls, said closure means comprising a male member ofcorrugated board and a female member adapted to receive the same, saidfemale member being in the form of a pocket constituted by a wall ofcorrugated board having its free outer portion doubled over, therebyproviding said wall with a doubled over edge, and by a strip ofcorrugated board overlying said wall on the same side thereof as saiddoubled over portion, and disposed parallel to the doubled over edge ofsaid wall, said strip having its free edge spaced from said doubled overedge but overlying said doubled over portion, and having portionsadjacent its other edge secured to said Wall.

EUGENE J. REEFER.

